Field of the Invention
The invention concerns the field of transport technology and conveying technology, in particular intra-logistics.
Description of Related Art
In automated warehouses, vast production facilities and very generally concerning the transport of goods, there exists the need to receive the items (goods) in suitable receptacles, to then convey these receptacles further, for example via a suspended conveying device, and to intermediately store them or to transport them to their designated location and to unload them again there.
Hence, it is known from the state of the art to apply suspended conveying devices with transport pockets for the transport of the goods.
The published document DE 10 2004 018 569 A1 for example describes a suspended conveyor with a plurality of collecting pockets that can be folded together and that are for receiving and the sorting collecting of objects, in particular pieces of clothing. The collecting pocket includes a frame mount and a pocket pouch that is suspended on the frame mount. The collecting pocket is suspended on the suspended conveyor via a hook that is attached to the frame mount.
The advantage of transport pockets lies in the fact that they are designed in a flexible manner. The receiving compartment, i.e. the pocket pouch, can be compressed or pressed together by way of this, e.g. by way of folding together. In this manner, the transport pockets permit goods logistics that are space-saving compared, for example, to rigid crates. Empty transport pockets with a pressed-together receiving compartment, i.e. pocket pouch can therefore be stored and conveyed in a space-saving manner. The receiving compartments do not need to be expanded to the extent that they take up space, until the goods are transported or stored.
Suspended conveying systems with transport pockets however have the disadvantage that it is difficult to reliably charge the transport pockets with goods in an automated process. Amongst other things, this is due to the fact that the pocket opening or receiving opening, through which the transport item must be inserted into the receiving compartment in a targeted manner, only has a limited size. As a rule, the transport pockets are moreover conveyed in a freely swinging or pivoting manner in suspended conveying systems, and this likewise renders the transfer of goods into the transfer pockets more difficult. I.e., additional measures are necessary for stabilising the transport pockets.
The published document DE 10 2008 061 685 A1 describes a loading station for transport pockets that are conveyed in a suspended conveying facility. The loading station includes an upper feed rail for the transport pockets, a perpendicular conveyor which is subsequent to the feed rail, for feeding the transport pockets into a lower loading position, a device for opening the transport pockets in the loading position and a lower lead-away rail, which is subsequent to the perpendicular conveyor, for leading away the transport pockets out of the loading position.
Known loading stations or the associated transport pockets have the disadvantage that these often have a complicated construction and the loading stations have a complex process course, for the reasons mentioned above. The loading procedure is accordingly awkward. This results in the loading speed being unsatisfactory.